Wedoany.com Report-Dec 05,Wright has finished final assembly of its second-generation megawatt-class motor, WM2500, built with support from DOE ARPA-E and NASA. WM2500 is a 2.5 MW (3,300+ horsepower) electric aircraft engine targeted for industry-leading power and power density.
It is designed to replace the engine core of a jet engine, enabling current airplanes to become electric. It works with ducted fan and propeller-based aircraft, and it forms the core of Wright’s C-130 hybrid-electrification program.
2.5 MW of shaft power is needed to power aircraft with 100+ passengers. These larger aircraft account for more than 90% of the carbon and noise footprint of the aerospace industry; electric engines of this size are a crucial building block for decarbonizing aerospace.
Wright will conduct testing of the WM2500 at its laboratory in Albany, NY, before heading to NASA’s NEAT facility for altitude chamber testing. The company will then conduct propulsion test stand testing and then move to aircraft ground and flight testing.
